GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

xx Animal Crossing Calculator
xx Animal Crossing Clock
69 Art Style: AQUIA
xx Art Style: BOXLIFE
77 Art Style: CODE
xx Art Style: KUBOS
xx Art Style: NEMREM
82 Art Style: PiCTOBiTS
xx Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
70 Avalon Code
xx Big League Sports: Summer
71 Bird & Beans
60 Black Sigil
72 Boing! Docomodake DS
69 Brain Age Express: Math
xx Brave: Shaman's Challenge
78 Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars - Director's Cut
xx C.O.R.E.
xx Challenge Me: Brain Puzzles
44 Challenge Me: Maths Workout
xx Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics
69 Dark Spire, The
xx Dawn of Discovery
xx Desktop Tower Defense
60 Dokapon Journey
71 Don King Boxing
76 Dr. Mario Express
xx Emergency! Disaster Rescue Squad
75 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
66 Football Academy
xx G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
60 Gardening Mama
54 Ghostbusters: The Video Game
xx Giana Sisters DS
93 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
xx Grey's Anatomy
74 Guitar Hero On Tour - Modern Hits
xx Hannah Montana: The Movie
xx Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
xx Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming
82 Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
42 History Great Empires: Rome
xx Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
xx Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
xx Jagged Alliance
xx Jake Hunter Detective Story: Memories of the Past
xx Jake Power: Handyman
xx Jewel Quest Solitaire
xx Junior Classic Games
78 Knights in the Nightmare
77 Legendary Starfy, The
67 LEGO Battles
48 Lux-Pain
70 Magician's Quest: Mysterious Times
xx Mario Calculator
xx Mario Clock
85 Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
xx Master of Illusion Express: Deep Psyche
xx Master of Illusion Express: Funny Face
xx Master of Illusion Express: Shuffle Games
xx Mega Man Star Force 3: Black Ace
xx Mega Man Star Force 3: Red Joker
56 Miami Law
85 Mighty Flip Champs
xx Military History Commander: Europe at War
xx Mixed Messages
47 Monsters vs. Aliens
59 My Pet Shop
64 MySims Party
67 MySims Racing
50 Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Council 4
48 Naruto: Ninja Destiny II
xx Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
xx Nintendo DSi Browser
57 Overlord: Minions
51 Paper Airplane Chase
xx Pass Your Driving Theory Test
52 PDC World Championship Darts 2009
71 Personal Trainer: Walking
xx Photo Clock
82 Pokemon Platinum
xx Pop Superstar: Road to Celebrity
73 Puchi Puchi Virus
xx Puzzle City
67 Puzzle Kingdoms
75 Real Soccer 2009 (DSiWare)
83 Rhythm Heaven
xx Roogoo Attack
xx Science Papa
xx Scrabble
68 Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis
85 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
xx Shorts
xx Space Bust-A-Move
xx Space Camp
63 Steal Princess
xx Sudoku 50! For Beginners
xx Sudoku Master
76 Suikoden Tierkreis
74 Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier
57 Tokyo Beat Down
54 Touch Mechanic
xx Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Autobots
xx Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Decepticons
xx Treasure World
xx Up
74 Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume
53 WarioWare: Snapped!
xx World Championship Games: A Track & Field Event
55 X-Men Origins: Wolverine
73 Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Stardust Accelerator: World Championship Tournament 2009
75 Zubo

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings ds Game Reviews
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Critic Score
Metascore: 81 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.8 out of 10
based on 44 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 9 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

One year after the events of FINAL FANTASY XII, the young protagonist Vaan travels the skies of Ivalice with his trusted navigator Penelo at his side. Their treasure hunting adventures take them to the sky continent of Lemurés where they meet Llyud, a member of the aegyl race. These mysterious winged people have been living on the floating continent for centuries, but a disturbance has allowed treasure-seeking sky pirates to breach their once-hidden territory. It falls to Vaan and his band of young sky pirates to stand up against the trespassers, and defend this extraordinary world and its people.

PUBLISHER: Square Enix
DEVELOPER: Square Enix
GENRE(S): Action, Role-Playing Game
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)
RELEASE DATE: November 20, 2007

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

96
Cheat Code Central
It could easily be my pick for the best DS game this year because it seems to have all the right ingredients: A great story, unique gameplay, killer visuals, and a fantastic score. All of these elements combine to create the best gaming experience on the DS this year, and it's no wonder that this precious gem came from the folks at Square-Enix. It's an absolute joy to play, and I can't overstate my satisfaction with this game.
Read Full Review
94
GameBrink
Revenant Wings offers some fresh gameplay for the mammoth RPG series and while the dominant RTS element may not be for everyone, it’s certainly been simplified a lot to offer a good 30 entertaining hours or so.
Read Full Review
91
Official Nintendo Magazine UK
The disappointing lack of multiplayer modes aside, this is almost the perfect strategy package. [Feb 2008, p.62]
90
Worth Playing
This is well worth a DS owner’s time, and easily one of the best things Square-Enix has published for the system.
Read Full Review
90
GamePro
It's an interesting addition to the Final Fantasy franchise and proof that Square Enix can deliver a good title that doesn't fall back on RPG conventions. [Dec 2007, p.132]
Read Full Review
90
AceGamez
The RTS gameplay may be different to the standard RPG found in the most Japanese entry in the series, but the light-hearted nature of the game and the fact that it is so different to the original, while still retaining many key elements, makes them feel identical.
Read Full Review
90
Maxi Consolas (Portugal)
The usual audience will be captivated by its story, that’s complemented with some great real time strategy mechanics. Just trying to unlock all of the elemental Espers will make you addicted. [Apr 2008]
88
NGamer UK
Witty story, great characters and a bite-size battle system that's ideal for DS. You can't fail to be impressed by this, regardless of whether or not you're a fan of Final Fantasy. [Mar 2008, p.50]
Read Full Review
87
Games Master UK
Doesn't knock "Advance Wars" from the strategy throne, but a must for FF nuts. [Mar 2008, p.74]
87
IGN AU
It has as much depth as we can ask for a true real-time RTS based in Ivalice, with some of the best production values this side of a first-party Nintendo release.
Read Full Review
87
Pelit (Finland)
A very good fantasy-RTS slash -RPG with heavy emphasis on the RTS-side of things. The difficulty level seems to be all over the place and the story is quite dull, though. [Apr 2008]
85
GameSpot
Just as Final Fantasy Tactics did nearly 10 years ago, Revenant Wings successfully takes the series into uncharted waters in an unforgettable way.
Read Full Review
85
Play Magazine
You never get the impression that there's something lacking, but experienced RTS fans may hunger for something more challenging. [Nov 2007, p.76]
85
Deeko
Overall, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings is a solid game.
Read Full Review
85
Hardcore Gamer Magazine
In short: come for Balthier, stay for the solid gameplay. It's a win-win situation. [Dec 2007, p.63]
85
GameZone
While the controls take some getting used to (especially if you’re a southpaw), there is plenty of fun to be had in Revenant Wings.
Read Full Review
83
IGN
We’ve got a few gripes with the design, as units will often bunch together, enemy AI still isn’t too bright, and the linear feel makes it easy to stock up on units and then run your blob of fighters from beginning to end with little challenge – at least during the first half of the game – but as an overall product Revenant Wings is nothing short of impressive.
Read Full Review
83
Game Revolution
While the difficulty of Revenant Wings could be dialed up a notch or two for experienced gamers, it’s a fun, great-looking game that will keep you occupied for fifteen to twenty hours.
Read Full Review
81
RPG Fan
While Revenant Wings may be little more than a handheld equivalent to Final Fantasy X-2, it does what it was meant to do quite well.
Read Full Review
80
Zentendo
Revenant Wings is fairly challenging, especially in the last three chapters, as well as all the last optional quests to unlock the hidden Scions (Rank III Espers) and one that powers up a weapon each time you complete it (though it consists of 10 missions). Brute forcing will work to an extent, but selecting appropriate Espers and learning to pick off enemy units slowly and one at a time are crucial to success later on.
Read Full Review
80
Gamer.nl
Square Enix seems to have put considerable time in the development of Revenant Wings. You notice that right away from the quality of the graphics and music. We would have liked a deeper fighting system, but since this is a handheld game, it might have been the right choice to keep things simple. We're sure fans of the franchise will have a great time playing this and newcomers will have no problem picking this up.
Read Full Review
80
Gaming Nexus
All in all, the game is a great addition to the collection of any fan of Final Fantasy Tactics or Final Fantasy XII because it melds the two games together seemlessly.
Read Full Review
80
VideoGamer
Most importantly, DS owners in general who are looking for something a little different will find Revenant Wings loads of fun. It's perfect for a medium length commute, never gets too complicated and has an excellent learning curve.
Read Full Review
80
EuroGamer
For fans of Final Fantasy XII, it is a wonderful continuation of the story - a welcome chance to revisit well-loved locations and characters.
Read Full Review
80
Pocket Gamer UK
Bright, beautiful and extremely playable, Revenant Wings breathes new life into the portable line of Final Fantasies.
Read Full Review
80
GameSpy
Though it has a few blemishes, Revenant Wings still manages to be a good deal of fun. The way combat is handled is logical and enjoyable, making up for the missteps.
Read Full Review
80
GameDaily
3-D environments look terrific, although the character sprites lack the same flair, and the soundtrack is classic Final Fantasy. Fans of the franchise or RTS games should definitely pick this up.
Read Full Review
80
1UP
Thanks to some tough (but never unreasonably frustrating) battles, a healthy dose of fan service, and a quality localization, Revenant Wings is a thoroughly enjoyable hybrid. It's hardly the second coming of Final Fantasy XII...but somehow manages to turn that into a strength anyway.
Read Full Review
80
Gameplayer
The best RTS on DS!
Read Full Review
80
GamerNode
Final Fantasy fans should pick this game up. Despite its simplicity there is still much to be enjoyed in this game. Accept it for what it is, and you'll find yourself smiling as you journey with Vaan and Co. once again.
Read Full Review
78
Gamer 2.0
The battle system isn't perfect by any means, but it works out a lot better than it did in Heroes of Mana. A lot of the DS strategy games lack the ability for the user to turn the map around to view things from a different angle, and that's where all of these games, including Revenant Wings, falter.
Read Full Review
78
The New York Times
While Wings recreates the feel of combat in Final Fantasy XII, it also does too good a job of recreating the feel of that game’s story, with an equally dull plot and bland characters. I always enjoyed playing the game, but I never had any interest in what was going on in the story.
Read Full Review
78
Destructoid
A fine alternative RTS that expands upon an already fantastic universe and one of Final Fantasy's most compelling stories and casts to date. But while their grip on the gameplay end of things has improved dramatically over Heroes of Mana, Wings makes a few mistakes that keep things a little less strategy and a little more mob slaughter.
Read Full Review
77
Jolt Online Gaming UK
While the RTS battles are nicely contained within a chirpy story dripping with quality presentation, this never fully compensates for the limitations of its combat engine.
Read Full Review
75
Nintendo Power
Fortunately, a great storyline makes it easy to keep going in spite of the uneven difficulty. [Holiday 2007, p.84]
75
Game Informer
Even though Revenant Wings isn’t an outstanding title, it still manages to do something remarkable: It’s a playable and fun handheld RTS – and probably the first of its kind.
Read Full Review
75
Gaming Age
A fun take on the series, especially if you can overlook some of the poor judgment in the control of the game. With how good the game looks, and all of the different types of espers that can be recruited, players can get really creative with their armies.
Read Full Review
72
Electronic Gaming Monthly
It's not perfect--the difficulty spikes randomly throughout and spamming units produces easy victories--but it's a step up from "Heroes of Mana". [Holiday 2007, p.87]
70
Gamervision
I generally like games to focus as much on story as they do on the fighting, but the fact that this is so mission-heavy is one of the things that distinguishes it from its predecessor.
Read Full Review
70
GotNext
Revenant Wings remains a fun, simple, moderately challenging RTS for the DS. It doesn’t add anything vital to the original game’s storyline, nor is it of the same caliber of storytelling, though for how lighthearted it may feel, its simplicity will welcome newcomers to RTS games with open arms.
Read Full Review
65
PALGN
Perfect for the easy goers and newcomers of the genre, serious strategy role-playing game fans should look elsewhere for Square Enix flavoured depth and challenge.
Read Full Review
60
Edge Magazine
The solid presentation and well-adjusted linear flow of the game make it simple, if mindless, fun. [Jan 2008, p.85]
60
Modojo
When a game is supposed to be strategic, I expect strategy... and when it fails in that regard, I personally cannot believe it's a great game. That's not to say FFXII: RW is bad or that it isn't competently designed, it's just that it could have been much more and it's sort of infuriating to know it isn't.
Read Full Review
60
games(TM)
The game is still fun to play, and never becomes frustrating or dislikeable, but it never quite achieves the potential it so obviously holds. [Apr 2008, p.118]

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 9 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Micah D. gave it a10:
The best RPG there is. Awesome. Graphics were great and it was the perfect length. The best DS game out there.

Sifte AF gave it a10:
This game is absolutely the best RPG this year even after the november release. its got amazing story great action. just wish the graphics were slightly better when zoomed, but in overall, its one of the bests.

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: iPhone 3G | Fantasy Football | Moneywatch | Antivirus Software | Recipes | E3 2009

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use